HYDERABAD, INDIA, 20 July, 2005: The Andhra Pradesh police have proposed the installation of bullet-proof doors in the Venkateswara temple complex at Tirumala. Though there was no immediate threat to the temple, combing operations on and around the hills would be stepped up. The Chittoor Superintendent of Police had been directed to spare more forces for the exercise. Other proposals included the installation of sophisticated jammers at various points to block signals from mobile phones and other electronic equipment inside and outside the temple and further activating the intelligence set-up to monitor the activities of anti-social elements. There was also a proposal to have bulletproof security posts and replace private security guards with Home Guards at places such as Alipiri. The Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams were willing to bear the cost of certain security equipment. The Inspector-General of Police (Law and Order), Rayalaseema region, N. Sambasiva Rao, denied that the security measures were chalked out in the aftermath of the terrorist attack at Ayodhya. “We are just stepping up security.”
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